Tag Archives: Bethlehem Area School District

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…By sticking to Roy’s timeline, the district will not invite a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historic preservation advocate, Thomas Hylton, to tour Nitschmann as south Bethlehem resident Stephen Antalics had requested.

Board President Michael Faccinetto said Hylton, who had argued in a recent Morning Call editorial for the cheapest possible renovation of Nitschmann, could present his views at a public meeting. But Faccinetto said the district would not allow Hylton a private tour of Nitschmann as he had gotten at Broughal before the building was torn down to make room for the new school and its athletic fields.

“The last time he came here, he billed the district $5,000 for his services,” Faccinetto said.

On Nov. 20, Hylton, a member of the Pottstown School Board and president of the nonprofit group Save Our Land, Save Our Towns, said he never offered to tour Nitschmann. He said he did not know his name was being bantered around the district.

Our neighbor to the north is having a great deal of difficulty balancing their school district budget too!

Bethlehem Area School District, which has 15,000+ students is proposing a $207 million dollar budget which slashes 6 administrators, 35 teaching positions and raises taxes 6.1%. This comes one short year after the district got off the state’s academically troubled list!

Last year the district slashed 45 positions and raised taxes 5.1%. Debt accounts for 30% of their budget! In November the district’s credit rating was downgraded.